Alkyl vinyl ether/N-arylmaleimide copolymer containing polymer alloy

Abstract

A thermodynamically miscible polymer composition containing a copolymer having recurring units of an alkyl vinyl ether and recurring units of an N-aryl substituted maleimide and an acrylonitrile copolymer is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A polymer composition comprising (A) a copolymer having from about 40 to about 60 mole % of at least one C 1  to C 18  alkyl vinyl ether and from about 60 to about 40 mole % of at least one N-aryl substituted maleimide, said component (A) having a peak molecular weight of from about 50,000 to about 500,000 and (B) a polymer selected from the group consisting of (1) a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile, and (2) a rubber grafted with a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene, and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile wherein the weight ratio of component (A) to the copolymer matrix of component (B) is from 99:1 to 1:99; wherein if component (B) (2) is employed, the rubber will be present in an amount of from about 1 to about 40 parts per each 100 parts of the copolymer matrix; and wherein component (A) and the copolymer matrix of (B) are thermodynamically miscible with one another such that the polymer composition exhibits a single glass transition temperature value. 
     
     
       2. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said N-aryl substituted maleimide of component (A) is selected from the group consisting of at least one of N-phenylmaleimide, N-tolymaleimide, N-(chlorophenyl) maleimide and N-(bromophenyl) maleimide. 
     
     
       3. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said alkyl vinyl ether of component (A) is selected from the group consisting of at least one of methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, n-propyl vinyl ether, isopropyl vinyl ether, n-butyl vinyl ether, isobutyl vinyl ether, t-butyl vinyl ether, n-amyl viny ether, isoamyl vinyl ether, t-amyl vinyl ether, n-hexyl vinyl ether, n-heptyl vinyl ether, n-octyl vinyl ether, isoctyl vinyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl vinyl ether, decyl vinyl ether, dodecyl vinyl ether (laurel vinyl ether), tetradecyl vinyl ether, hexadecyl vinyl ether (ethyl vinyl ether), octadecyl vinyl ether, or mixtures of these. 
     
     
       4. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which component (A) is a copolymer of recurring units of isobutyl vinyl ether and N-phenylmaleimide. 
     
     
       5. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which the component (A) copolymer has a peak molecular weight within the range of from about 50,000 to about 500,000. 
     
     
       6. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which the component (A) copolymer has a peak molecular weight within the range of from about 70,000 to about 150,000. 
     
     
       7. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said component (B) is an acrylonitrile-poly(butadiene)-styrene terpolymer. 
     
     
       8. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said component (B) is an acrylonitrile-EPDM-styrene terpolymer. 
     
     
       9. The polymer composition of claim 8 in which said component (B) is a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. 
     
     
       10. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said component (B) is an acrylonitrile-poly(butadiene)-methylstyrene terpolymer. 
     
     
       11. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said component (B) is an acrylonitrile-EPDM-α-methylstyrene terpolymer. 
     
     
       12. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which said component (B) is a α-methylstyrene-acrylonitrile copolymer. 
     
     
       13. The polymer composition of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of component (A) to the copolymer matrix of component (B) is from 25:75 to 1:99. 
     
     
       14. A method of producing a molded composition which comprises forming a composition comprising (A) a copolymer having from about 40 to about 60 mole % of at least one C 1  to C 18  alkyl vinyl ether and from about 60 to about 40 mole % of at least one N-aryl substituted maleimide, said component (A) having a peak molecular weight of from 50,000 to about 500,000 and (B) a polymer selected from the group consisting of (1) a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile and (2) a rubber grafted with a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene, and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile, wherein the weight ratio of component (A) to the copolymer matrix of component (B) is from 99:1 to 1:99; wherein if component (B) (2) is employed the rubber will be present in an amount of from about 1 to about 40 parts per each 100 parts of the copolymer matrix; and wherein component (A) and the copolymer matrix of (B) are thermodynamically miscible with one another such that the polymer composition exhibits a single glass transition temperature value, and molding the resulting composition. 
     
     
       15. A molded composition comprising a single continuous phase, the single continuous phase being a polymer composition comprising (A) a copolymer having from about 40 to about 60 mole % of at least one C 1  to C 18  alkyl vinyl ether and from about 60 to about 40 mole % of at least one N-aryl substituted maleimide, said component (A) having a peak molecular weight of from 50,000 to about 500,000 and (B) a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile. 
     
     
       16. A molded composition comprising a continuous phase and a disperse phase within the continuous phase, the continuous phase being a polymer composition comprising (A) a copolymer having from about 40 to about 60 mole % by weight of at least one C 1  to C 18  alkyl vinyl ether and from about 60 to about 40 mole % of at least one N-aryl substituted maleimide, said component (A) having a peak molecular weight of from 50,000 to about 500,000, and (B) a copolymer matrix of from about 65 to about 85% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene and α-methylstyrene, and from about 15 to about 35% by weight acrylonitrile, the disperse phase being a rubber which is grafted with said copolymer matrix (B).